American Jewish Committee Sued for $5,000,000 for Memorandum Exposing Pro-arab League

July 9, 1946

New York (Jul. 8)

An action for $5,000,000 has been brought in New York Supreme Court by Benjamin H. Freedman, of “The League for Peace with Justice in Palestine,” against a number of officers and members of the executive committee of the American Jewish Committee, it was announced today.

On May 17, 1946, the Committee circularized a memorandum concerning Freedman and “The League for Peace With Justice in Palestine” which recently inserted full-page pro-Arab advertisements in various newspapers, opposing the admission of 100,000 Jews into Palestine. The memorandum said that advertisements which claimed to speak for Christian, Jewish and Arab groups, really represent only Mr. Freedman, who has no backing of any organization or group.

In his newspaper advertisements, it was stated that Freedman represents the Jewish group, P.M. Schoendorf, the Christian group and H.I. Katibah, the Arabs. The Committee memorandum revealed that P.M. Schoendorf is Mr. Freedman’s mother-in-law and that Katibah is an Arab propagandist in this country. It further stated that Freedman was collaborating with certain Arab individuals in a propaganda effort to keep the gates of Palestine closed to Jewish immigration.

Dr. John Slawson, executive vice-president of the Committee, declared today: “This suit brought by Mr. Freedman will give us an opportunity to demonstrate in court the nature and character of the so-called ‘League for Peace with Justice in Palestine’ and Mr. Freedman’s role in it.”

Among those named as defendants are: Joseph M. Proskauer, president of the Committee; Jacob Blaustein, chairman of the executive committee; David Sher, chairman of the administrative committee; Nathaniel Ohrbach, treasurer; Edward Lazansky and Fred Iazarus, Jr., vice-presidents; Alan N. Stroock, vice-chairman, executive committee; and Ralph E. Samuel, chairman of the New York Chapter of the Committee.